As Paul McCartney faces fatherhood in his 60s, Kirsti Adair meets a man who is about to have his fourth child more than 30 years after his first

MOST people in their 50s are glad to have left their nappy changing days behind them. After years of raising a family, they are relieved to be able to leave the baby business to their own children.

But at 56 and with three grown-up sons to his name, Professor John Ashton is preparing for fatherhood all over again - and he couldn't be happier.

John and his wife, Maggie, 47, are expecting their first baby as a couple next month.

"We are so excited about it," he says. "Bringing another child into the world just feels like a really nice thing to be doing. I'm always asked how I am going to cope with the sleepless nights, but it doesn't worry me. I'm just really looking forward to doing it all again."

As the North West's Director of Public Health, John says if anyone knows how to keep themselves fit and healthy it's him.

"I look after myself and am planning on living another good 30 years at least," he said.

"Yes there is the point about not having as much energy as I used to, but I am not under as much pressure financially or with my career as I was when I was in my 20s.

"I can take a more laid-back approach to life now and have more time to think about things."

John says his children, Kier, 32, Matthew, 30, and Nick, 28, were fairly surprised to hear they were to get a new sibling.

"But they seem to have come to terms with it now and are look forward to it," he says. " I am still waiting for grandchildren though."

John, along with Sir Paul McCartney, will join an ever growing list of older dads experiencing the ups and downs and children later in life.

At 47, Prime Minister Tony Blair was a relatively young 'older dad' when Cherie gave birth to Leo in May 2000. The PM, who ruled out taking formal paternity leave, was warned at the time that what might be a tiring slog in your 20s and 30s could feel 10 times tougher the older you get.

So while many of his peers spend relaxing weekends on the golf course, John, from Liverpool, like all the other fathers-to-be, can be found happily gathering together all the necessary baby gear for his new arrival.

But he has noticed a some differences since he bought his first baby goods three decades ago.

"Some of the stuff has really changed," he says. "Instead of the standard McClaren buggy, you have these huge three wheeled modern machines."

His wife, Maggie, a director of public health in Preston, is glad that baby equipment has moved on.

"I nearly set myself on fire once trying to boil water to sterilise bottles in a saucepan.

"Now you can do it in seconds in a microwave. It makes such a difference."

Maggie, who already has two boys, says having this baby as an older mum is like going through it all for the first time: "It's a strange feeling because I had forgotten what it was like. My two boys, Alex, 16, and Dylan, 13, are growing up and it feels like long time since a child was totally dependent on me.

"Although I am apprehensive, I am not as anxious as I would have been first time around, but more assured and thoughtful."

Previous parenting experience, she believes, can be used to her advantage.

"Bringing up children, there are always going to be things you think you could have done differently and now I am getting the opportunity to do that."

Her two boys tell her she looks as good as any mum at the school gates and that is good enough for her.

"Age is so much about attitude," she says.

"I don't think I am behind the times in any way. I am obviously going to look older than other mums when I pick my child up from school but I think it's more about the quality of the relationship you have.

"I certainly still feel young and have been working until my 37th week of pregnancy.

"I've already told John he has to keep himself fit and healthy. He's not going to become ill and get out of it that easily."

Celebrity fathers in later life>

OLDER fathers are not a new phenomenon. Charlie Chaplin is among the most famous of older fathers and was in his 70s when his youngest of 11 children, Christopher, was born.

In more recent years, TV favourite David Jason experienced fatherhood for the first time at the age of 61 when his girlfriend, Gill Hinchcliffe, gave birth to daughter Sophie Mae in February 2001.

And when most would have been expecting him to be thinking about grandchildren, if not great grandchildren, Star Trek actor James Doohan - Scotty in the cult series - welcomed his daughter Sarah into the world soon after his 80th birthday in 2000.

TV presenter John Humphrys became a father again at the relatively young age of 56, three decades after his first family arrived. And Hollywood star Anthony Quinn fathered two children with his former secretary Kathy Benvin, while in his 70s.

Veteran actor Ron Moody, who played Fagin in the 1968 classic Oliver, was 62 when his first child was born and now has six children.

He said previously: 'Being an older parent, you do have more knowledge and more sense of what you want to pass on to children. You are less wrapped up in yourself.'

Michael Douglas was 55 when Catherine Zeta Jones gave birth to her first and his second child in 2000 while rock legend David Bowie was 53 when he became a father for the second time also in that year.

Bowie assisted with the delivery by cutting the umbilical cord as wife and model Iman gave birth to Alexandria Zahra Jones.